Switch unit



Ndv. 25, 1952 J. B. PARSONS 2,619,554

SWITCH UNIT Filed Dec. 29, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FREE. 4/

INVENTOR. John B.Pa/1s0/7s W QQM ArraRA/EY Nov. 25, 1952 PARSONS 2,619,554

SWITCH UNIT Filed Dec. 29, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v I 24 l /2 33 W 3 .1 ll||,?5|h, "1"" f 28 I I /5 w, i] /5 1' l I A; I l 26 INVENTOR.

Jo/rr) B. Parqons ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to switch mechanisms, and an object is to produce a new and improved mechanism of this character which is simple in construction, easy to assemble, eflicient in operation and has the novel features of construction hereinafter described.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the switch housing and operating rod;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the switch assembly;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the switch mechanism with the cover removed and showing the operating slide in section;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, parts being broken away to show the manner in which the operating rod is connected to the actuating slide;

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line of Figure 4, showing the switch in its intermediate or neutral position;

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to Figure 7, but showing the operating rod pulled or advanced to the right of the figure for connecting the intermediate live terminals with the righthand end terminal; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged top perspective view of the channel shaped contact member.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a switch assembly which includes an upper housing part provided with a top plate l generally rectangular in shape having depending side walls I l, which telescope over a lower housing member I2 having a flat lower bottom wall I3 and upstanding side walls I4. The housing parts are held together by fasteners generally indicated at I as best shown in Figures '7 and 8. The fasteners I5 have arms extending outside of the housing for securing the housing in a panel aperture, and since the fasteners form no part of the present invention, further description thereof is not considered necessary.

The central portion of the top plate I9 has an upwardly extending guide portion I6 of stepped formation, the opposite ends of the guide portion I6 being open. Fittin the under side of the guide portion I6 is an actuating slide I! which rides along a plate I8 interposed between the upper edge of the walls It and the plate I0. The plate I8 has an elongate slot to receive a, depending portion IQ of the slide IT. The depending portion I9 is disposed intermediate the walls of the lower housing member I2 and projects into a socket portion 20 of a channel shaped conducting or actuating member 2|, which is open at opposite ends and has upstanding parallel side walls 22 and 23. The bottom face of the socket portion 20 is fiat to ride along the fiat bottom wall I3 of the lower housing section.

The projection I9 of the slide has a socket in which a helical coil spring 24 is disposed, the lower end of the spring bearing against the bottom of the socket portion 20 of the channel member 2|. The opposite end portions of the channel member 2| on each side of the socket member 20 are spaced upwardly from the bottom of the socket member and as shown, provide elongate reversely curved extensions or contact portions 26 and 21 integral with the side walls 22 and 23. Each set of contact portions 26 and 21 is integrally connected by a web 28, which is spaced above the contact portions. Thus, in the normal or intermediate position of the contact slide 2| (Figure '7), the webs 28 are spaced above and clear terminal posts 29, which are arranged at opposite sides of the lower housing section. The posts 29 have substantially frusto-conical upper ends and are the live posts so that in the intermediate position of the channel member 2 I, no current is conducted from the live posts. The posts 29 are electrically connected by a strip 30 of electrical conductive material, as shown in Figure 3, so that either or both of these posts may be connected to the battery or other source of electrical current. It will be understood that the channel member 2| is in the form of a onepiece stamping and is of copper, brass or other suitable electrical conductive material.

At opposite ends of the lower housing section II are terminal binding posts 3| and 32, which project inside the lower housing section II and a substantially V-shaped spring 33 of electrical conductive material is connected adjacent one end toeach of the binding posts 3| and 32, the post engaging end of the spring being notched partially to embrace the respective binding post to hold it in position. The opposite arm of each spring abuts against a plate 34 of electrical conductive material, which extends across the lower housing section and is urged by the respective spring 33 against a pair of stop shoulders 35 and 35 formed in opposite sides of the housing section II. The arrangement is such that the slide I'I can be shifted laterally in one direction or the other and when the channel contact member 2| is moved in one direction, one of the springs 33 is flexed and the respective plate 34 is moved away from its stop shoulders and when one or the other of the sets of extensions 25 and 21 engages the live binding posts 29, current can thus flow from the live binding posts 29 through the channel member 2| to one of the plates 34, the flexed spring 33 and thence to the binding post with which that spring engages. At that time, the other plate 35 remains in contact with those stop shoulders where it is held by the respective spring 33. Thus it will be manifest that in one direction of movement of the channel member, the two sets of depending extensions 26 engage the cam-like end of the live termina s 29 and upon such contact, create an electrical circuit to one of the binding posts 3| and 32. On the other hand, movement of the channel member 2! in the opposite direction or to the left of Figure '7, will cause the depending extensions 27 to engage the binding posts 29 and thus enable current to pass to the other of the terminal binding posts. The springs 33 cause the parts to assume their intermediate position shown on Figure '7, where the channel member 2! is out of contact with the live binding posts 29. Such to and fro shifting movement is guided by the bottom of the socket member 29 riding along the bottom of the lower housing section H, which also serves positively to space the webs 28 of the channel 2! away from the live binding posts 29 when the parts are in their intermediate or normal position.

The switch actuating slide I1 is positively shifted in one direction or the other from its intermediate position by a rod 37, which extends entirely through the guide portion 15 of the housing'plate 19, a groove 33 being formed on the upper portion of the slide plate I! to receive the rod 3?. Near the outer end of the rod 31 is a reduced neck portion 39 of cylindrical shape. Extending into the reduced neck portion is a collar flange 50 which retains the rod in position and enables the slide ll to be positively shifted in one direction or the other. On the outer end of the rod 37 is an actuating knob 6! to enable the rod to be conveniently actuated forwardly or rearwardly.

Reference is hereby made to my Patents No. 2,344,452, dated March 14, 1944, and No. 2,446,- 141, dated July 27, 1948, which this switch mechanism resembles. Reference is further made to my co-pending application Serial No. 99,515, filed June 16, 1949, which issued as Patent No. 2,580,950, dated January 1, 1952, and entitled Switch Mechanism. This invention distinguishes from these prior patents and pending application in the provision of the channel contact member 21 and associated parts enabling the live terminals to be selectively connected electrically with the end terminals. Although this switch assembly may be used in a variety of places, it is particularly adapted for controlling the operation of a reversible motor, the end terminals leading to the respective windings of the motor so that upon operation of the switch in one direction, current is supplied to one set of windings to cause the motor to rotate in one direction, and shifting of the shaft in the opposite direction electrically connects the other set of windings with the source of current causing the motor to rotate in the opposite direction.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A switch comprising a housing, pairs of spaced stop shoulders on opposite inside walls of the housing arranged intermediate the end walls thereof, a pair of upwardly extending live terminals in the spaced between said pairs of stop shoulders and adjacent the side walls respectively of the housing, an electrical connection between said live terminals, a pair of electrically conductive plates loosely arranged within the housing for abutting engagement with the pair of stop shoulders respectively, an end terminal at each end of the housing, electrically conductive springs connected respectively to said end terminals and tensioning said plates against their adjacent stop shoulders, a channel-shaped actuating member of electrical conductive material having parallel upstanding side walls for engagement with said plates respectively, a depressed socket portion centrally of said channel member for sliding engagement with the bottom wall of the housing, an arched portion on said channel member on opposite sides of said depressed portion, said arched portions being spaced above said upwardly extending live terminals respectively in the intermediate position of the channel member, each arched portion having a pair of laterally spaced depending engaging portions for engagement with the adjacent live terminal upon shifting movement of the channel member in one direction or the other, and means for shifting said channel member toward one plate or the other for establishing an electrical connection between one or the other end terminal and said live terminals.

2. A switch comprising a housing, pairs of spaced stop shoulders on opposite inside walls of the housing arranged intermediate the end walls thereof, a pair of upwardly extending live terminals in the space between said pairs of stop shoulders and adjacent the side walls respectively of the housing, an electrical connection between said live terminals, a pair of electrically conductive plates loosely arranged within the housing for abutting engagement with the pair of stop shoulders respectively, an end terminal at each end of the housing, electrically conductive springs connected respectively to said end terminals and tensioning said plates against their adjacent stop shoulders, a, channel-shaped actuating member of electrical conductive material having parallel upstanding side walls for engagement with said plates respectively, a depressed socket portion centrally of said channel member for sliding engagement with the bottom wall of the housing, an arched portion on said channel member on opposite sides of said depressed portion, said arched portions being spaced above said upwardly extending live terminals respectively in the intermediate position of the channel member, each arched portion having a pair of laterally spaced depending engaging portions for engagement with the adjacent live terminal upon shifting movement of the channel member in one direction or the other, and manual means for shifting said channel member including a part fitting said depressed socket portion.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 1, in which each live terminal comprises a substantially frusto-conical upper end portion, and said engaging portions comprise rounded flanges adapted to slide over a portion of said live terminals.

JOHN B. PARSONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,344,452 Parsons Mar. 14, 1944 2,413,135 Baumgardner Dec. 24, 1946 

